Women's Views of Different Models of Antenatal Care in Victoria, Australia

Abstract

Background: This study assessed women's views of care in pregnancy, contrasting the experiences and satisfaction of women using different models of care in Victoria, Australia. Methods: A statewide postal survey of women who gave birth during a 2-week period in 1993 was carried out 6 to 7 months after birth. Results: Of 1336 women, 62.5 percent responded, and of these, 62.4 percent rated their antenatal care as very good, 27.7 percent as good, 8.2 percent as mixed, and 1.8 percent as poor or very poor. Although social factors, obstetric factors, and model of care had significant associations with satisfaction in univariate analyses, only model of care, mother's country of birth, and medical risk remained significant in a multivariate analysis using logistic regression. Women were most likely to be satisfied when antenatal care was provided by an obstetrician in private practice or a birth center. When comparisons were restricted to options available to women without private health insurance, using public hospital clinics as the baseline in a multivariate analysis, women were significantly more likely to be satisfied with birth center care, and significantly less likely to be satisfied with shared care. Contributing factors were waiting times, staff seeming rushed, and lack of continuity of caregiver. Conclusion: The expansion of shared antenatal care has not succeeded in improving satisfaction with antenatal care for women in the public health care sector. (BIRTH 24:2, June 1997)